Titles for Onboarding Role

Rich Watson
Rich Watson Member Posts: 8 Seeker
edited November 2020 in Customer Success Leadership Community
Hi community,

What are some titles you use for the onboarding role within your CS org? As in, if you have a separate onboarding organization from the CSM - what titles do you use? 

I've seen: 
  • Solutions Architect
  • Solutions Engineer
  • Onboarding Specialist 



What else?


THANKS!
Rich

Comments

  • Yanira "Janita" Sesniak
    Yanira "Janita" Sesniak Member Posts: 53 Expert
    edited November 2020
    Hi @Rich Watson, great question! I have seen Onboarding Specialist as well along with "Success Coach". In my current organization onboarding and account management are handled by my CSMs. Similarly, my old teammate Rich is a "Customer Onboarding Specialist" (https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardbenavides).
  • Pam Micznik
    Pam Micznik Member Posts: 45 Expert
    Third Anniversary 10 Comments Photogenic GGR Blogger 2023
    edited November 2020
    What exactly does onboarding mean, in this context? What do they do?
    • Provide training (1:1 or 1:many)
    • Provide guidance about how to configure
    • Implement / configure
    • Provide Change Management guidance
  • Paul Mason
    Paul Mason Member Posts: 9 Seeker
    Third Anniversary Photogenic
    edited November 2020
    We call our onboarding role/specialists "Implementation Managers" and they own the onboarding and implementation, not the CSM. At past companies, I have worked at we have used "Solutions Architect" or "Solutions Engineer" but in those cases, they worked side by side with the CSM on the onboarding they did not own it outright. 

    Paul
  • Pam Micznik
    Pam Micznik Member Posts: 45 Expert
    Third Anniversary 10 Comments Photogenic GGR Blogger 2023
    edited November 2020
    @Paul Mason @Rich Watson and @Yanira

    Are your CSMs / Onboarding Specialists responsible for the training aspect of onboarding? Do they conduct 1:1 training sessions or does the customer have other training options such as self-paced courses (eLearning), and/or Instructor-Led courses?

    There is no one size fits all, but if you have a volume of customers, CSMs can have more productive conversations and collaboration if the champion has access to educate themselves before, during and while the implementation takes place.
  • Yanira "Janita" Sesniak
    Yanira "Janita" Sesniak Member Posts: 53 Expert
    edited November 2020

    Hi @Pam Micznik -

    Yes, I have led teams where Onboarding Specialists are responsible for the training aspect of onboarding. They conducted 1:1 training sessions and we also had other training options such as customer webinars and on-demand video trainings.

    I agree with you that CSMs can have more productive conversations and collaboration if the champion has access to educate themselves before, during and while the implementation takes place.

  • James Conant
    James Conant Member Posts: 37 Expert
    Second Anniversary
    edited November 2020
    A separate implementation team does introductions, onboarding, and training. Our CSM's participate with them on enterprise accts and certain mm.

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